Diversity is helping save Plymouth city centre as a wave of new businesses run by people of different nationalities open, leading experts say.
Retail and hospitality outlets offering ethnic foods and goods have been springing up mainly in the West End of the city centre, bringing new life to the high street.
And these are being credited with bringing vibrancy and originality to the city centre at a time when more traditional retail has faltered and Plymouth has seen shops close at a worrying rate.
A 2021 survey by tech firm Property Inspect, found Britain’s Ocean City has the fourth highest number of empty shops of the 50 cities and towns investigated, with 9.67 empty properties per 100,000 residents.
And the Cities Outlook 2022 report – Centre for Cities’ annual economic assessment of the UK’s largest urban areas - said Plymouth was the worst in the region for an increase in empty city centre shops during the pandemic and the sixth highest nationally.
But the Plymouth City Centre Company has pointed out that actually more businesses opened than shut during this period and said it is attracting a “new wave of entrepreneurs of all nationalities”.
Cllr Chaz Singh, chair of the equalities working group on Plymouth City Council, said the city as a whole has seen its diverse population double at the most recent census and said Plymouth, and the South West as a whole, is attracting new entrepreneurs, many from diverse backgrounds.
He said: “With that we have seen an increase in people coming into the city to contribute financially and economically. This has given us as a city the chance to embrace that.
“People are seeing this as a really good place to come to, to invest in and a place where their children can flourish.”
Cllr Singh, independent member for the Drake ward, was speaking as the egg-free vegetarian Cake Box chain opened in Cornwall Street, creating 12 jobs.
The outlet is a franchise of a 180-store national chain, but is run in Plymouth by Bharat Thapa, owner of the Barbican’s Himalayan Spice Nepalese restaurant.
And the list of nationalities now running businesses in the city centre includes Dutch, Portuguese, Thai, Turkish, Mexican, Caribbean and Vietnamese.
Mr Singh, who has recently been meeting with entrepreneurs in the Romanian and Sri Lanken communities, said: “I’m seeing a level of entrepreneurialism in diverse communities. We need to embrace diversity as a way of keeping Plymouth city centre alive.”
Steve Hughes, chief executive of Plymouth City Centre Company, said: “The West End is booming and attracting a new wave of entrepreneurs of all nationalities.
“This is giving customers a much wider choice, quality and excellent customer service - and providing a real vibrancy to the high street. This bodes well for the independent sector in the West End.”
He said that area was already benefiting from Plymouth City Centre Company’s work on the West End Brand, its social media channels and physical improvements at Frankfort Gate.
He said extra vibrancy, brought by new businesses, will be bolstered by a second phase of improvements at Frankfort Gate and the potential Health and Wellbeing Centre, set to be built at Colin Campbell Court. He said: “It means that despite the challenges of Covid-19 and the economy, the West End has an extremely bright future. “
